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Jane Eyre
Lectures 2 and 3
Lecture 2
• Miss Temple and Helen Burns are models for Jane
• Helen Burns
o They are very different, Jane is drawn to her
o Is aware that Helen sees the world through different eyes
o Jane freaks out when Helen is punished but Helen submits (follows a
doctrine)
o Jane says that you should punish those who put you down
o Helen – Christian view “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44)
o Helen is the model for Christian self denial
o Jane cannot accept this
o Eternity – Helen’s home
o Jane is filled with desire – wants love, acceptance, personal integrity
o Rasalas is the book that Helen is reading – represents Helen
▪ Another book within a book
▪ About a prince who is trying to figure out his life
▪ Relinquished earthly desire – like Helen
o In her scheme, time on earth is merely waiting
o So contrary to Jane’s desires
o Christian resignation on one side (Helen) – romantic embrace of individual
rights, freedom, outrage against injustice (Jane)
• Jane has been transformed from her experience at Lowood
• Feelings have been calmed through the loss of Helen, as well as from Miss. Temple
• Old desires suddenly reappear – becomes restless
• Self discipline Jane acquired at Lowood left when Miss. Temple left
• Name of Rochester’s estate is significant
• Thornfield – a field of thorns for Jane
• Her initial impression conveys Jane’s desire for domesticity, comfort and security –
appeals to her (a place in a home rather than an institution)
• Kind housekeeper, fire (warmth), cat
• Reassuring but misleading introduction – she thinks Miss Fairfax is her boss
• She is treated like a guest, not a servant
• She is pleased
• Thornfield – security and entrapment
• Women shouldn’t be calm all the time – women feel the same as men feel
• 99 – ascending moon that represents her longing to move beyond the confines of
her gender and class
• Rochester marks a change
• Rochester is seen as the figure of the romantic hero
• Rochester
o Brooding
o Mysterious/secrets o Family conflict
o Father/son conflict (fraud) – marriage and money
o Inherits Thornfield after his brother dies
o Troubled
o Passionate: sensuality
o Wants love, happiness
o He feels that he is imprisoned by his marriage with Bertha
o Rebellious
o Wants to exist outside society
o Tries to be authoritative over Jane
o Gypsy masquerade – sees how much he can get away with
o Calls Jane “singular” – independent, not tied down by convention and rules
o Issue of master and servant – she is his servant
o How submissive will she be? Can Rochester persuade her into a relationship
o Jane feels stimulated by him, like she is understood for the first time
o Garden scene – place of seduction
o A crisis arises in the garden
o Rochester tells Jane that he has a “queer” feeling about her
o Jane has always wanted to travel the world, but she refuses to go to Ireland